Peter and Annet have a complete draft gender strategic plan for Ethiopia to be discussed and finalised for circulation next week.
-It was suggested to have an overall strategy
The Humidtropics gender strategy has been circulated. The USAID gender specialist made consrtuctive comments which were forwarded to Humidtropics. ESA and WA were trying to recruit a gender specialist through GIZ/CIM. No candidate identified yet. Process ongoing.
Ethiopia gender plan currently in publication. Peter to share final draft with IHZ cc CA, JG.
- Jerry to connect with the USAID gender person
- Peter ,Annet and Irmgard to meet with USAID person to look in to a program level strategy
- To look at the humidtropics and use it as a basis gender strategy
- Irmgard and Peter to get the copy
of the humidtropics Gender strategy
- f each project feels there needs a separate one they can work on it and attached to the generic strategy
7
Formation of small working group on sustainability to come up with a framework and indicators
Peter and Tracy have discussed this in November
-We need few specific indicators for research projects , indicators that we could measure in the short project time
We needs to be focused
-Before USAID commission an external evaluators
ESA and WA came up with suggestions for sustainability indicators to kick off discussion of appropriateness, measurability, etc. Discussion included MSU, USAID, and WU but did not yield agreement.
Powerpoint summary available for further diuscussion
AAAS Symposium (San Jose, CA, February 2015; Peter Thorne, Cheryl Palm, Sieg Snapp, Gordon Conway?). Possibility of an add on meeting (c. 15 - 20 participants to come up with a core list of indicators for cross project application). We submit candidates beforehand.
Add to agendas for Programme Learning Event / M and E meeting and individual project planning meetings.
- Irmgard to follow up with Asmoha (from the learning event )
- Iain to ask the convener to come up for a draft report by March
-Peter T . to feedback from the vital science meeting in London in February
8
Preparation for project program review?
it was suggested to have an evaluation Before USAID commission an external evaluators
WA evaluation will take place September to October 2014. Ch. Okali is part of the review team. ToR were discussed with PCT and SAG. ESA evaluation is planned for February 2015.
Ethiopia: Early 2015? For discussion.
-Suggested to sure that the first advisory committee picks this up for their first meeting
9
New fund allocation
- Oct 2013- Sept 2014(USAID financial year )
-Peter talked to Eric and he said that we will get the same amount of allocation of the last year
Same amount as in previous years was disbursed on March 2014.
Bolt on projects. AR as a management entity for development activities. Case by case basis.
Jerry
to check with Eric an give us update
USAID Update
Enter MAJOR ongoing/planned and completed tasks
Task
Status
Notes for PCT review
Possible links with BMGF
Jerry in contact with various Gates staff to explore potential activities.
Funding for scaling up
Various opportunities via missions that we are exploring on a continuing basis.
SI Innovation Laboratory
Announcement by the end of August.
Jerry to keep the team in the loop
ESA Update
Enter MAJOR ongoing/planned and completed tasks
Task
Status
Notes for PCT review
Oct 2013 - March 2014 report
REPORT PREPARED AND SUBMITTED
2013 -2014 workplan and budget
work is being implemented, field season is over; entire budget including carryover from last year committed
USAID FIELD VISIT TO TANZANIA
ASARECA AND COSTECH (STEERING COMMITTEE MEMBERS) WILL BE INVITED. Steering committee members were not available at the time when USAID visited the fields. ASARECA and Chair of Steering committee attended launch of R4D platform in Babati in April and in continuation went on a 2-days field visit.
AGREEMENT WITH SIMLEZA SIGNED, FUNDS DISBURSED. DATA SHARING STILL TO BE DISCUSSED (LED BY TRACY). MATEETE AND I WILL VISIT THE SITES LATER THIS MONTH. Mateete, Sieg and I went on field visit to Chipata in January. Critical feed back was provided on some of the CA trials. SIMLEZA baseline survey data were shared with Wageningen after long discussion. RALS data compiled by MSU and national partners could not be obtained because they are protected by an MSU-USAID mission agreement. Wageningen team had 2 trips to Chipata to implement activities and farming systems analysis.
New partnerships
USAID Africa Bureau has provided US$ 350k to IITA for contracting MSU to carry out a desk study with Zambian national partners to provide the scientific evidence base for the links between field and farm level SI interventions and climate change mitigation and biodiversity conservation. This is a 12-months project until March 2015. Follow up on-ground research is expected after evaluation of the study report. Concept note to the USAID mission in Tanzania is under preparation for scaling technologies for rice, maize, beans, vegetables, soil fertility (fertilizer), strengthening seed systems, post harvest handling (4.5-5m for 3 years)
Field
visit in Tanzania
USAID Washington, Tanzanian mission and IITA DDG Research visited implementation sites in Tanzania in 17-22 March.
Scientist Exchange visit
Scientists from Zambia and Tanzania visited field experiments in Mali in March
WA Update
Enter MAJOR ongoing/planned and completed tasks
Task
Status
Notes for PCT review
Annual review and planning meeting
MEETING TOOK PLACE 3-5 FEBRUARY IN BAMAKO
Sept 2013 - March 2014 report
PREPARED AND SUBMITTED TIMELY
Scientist visit to Tanzania
Did not take place due to lengthy preparation of new workplan; Visit of Mali scientists to Ghana planned for August has to be postponed
Project document
under preparation, will be ready for the project evaluation
Implementation of workplan
New project component in Mali
Field activities are starting slowly in Ghana a because of lack of rain USAID mission Mali provided $9m for three years to ICRISAT to disseminate sorghum and millet technologies, the scaling project operates and reports under Africa RISING
Ethiopia Update
Enter MAJOR ongoing/planned and completed tasks
ask
Status
Notes for PCT review
Value chain studies
Complete. Some reports available. Others currently being finalised.
Meher season action research
c. 20 research protocols implemented across all sites after participant selection meetings.
Other initiatives
Fertilizer project (Ethiopia mission, partner / led by CIAT); Barley / Beans (BFS, partner / led by ICARDA or ATA). JG to keep PT in loop. PT to follow up with potential partners.
Oct 2012 - Mar 2013 report
Completed
April 2013 - Sep 2013 report
Completed
October 2013 - March 2014 report
In preparation
2013 -2014 workplan and budget
Complete. I will insert links when I can find the files. c.20 research protocols implemented by multi partner teams
IP establishment
All IPs established (Woreda and Kebele level). Training of local facilitators in IP maintenance and comms tools planned for 6 - 7 September.
Planning meeting
November 2014. Major focus on Meher season activities leading into an initial broad plan for scaling
M&E Update
Enter MAJOR ongoing/planned and completed tasks
Task
Status
Notes for PCT review
Joint Africa RISING (AR)-Cereal Systems Initiative for South Asia (CSISA) M&E meeting:
Completed
Custom indicators
Web-based mapping and monitoring platform (Project Mapping and Monitoring Tool -PMMT-) Version 2.0 demo at the M&E meeting
PMMT updated based on feedback at the M&E meeting
AR data management protocol
Actions:
Version 3 to be ready by end of June
PMMT seminar at USAID; internal M&E training
PMMT training end of July/beginning of August in all countries/sites
Finalize data management plan by March (for April PCT meeting)
Completed
Completed
Completed
Draft for discussion
Completed
Completed
Ongoing
Draft for discussion
Level of reporting for FtF indicators
AR baseline surveys (Implementation)
Malawi
Tanzania
Ghana
Mali
Ethiopia
Data cleaning and documentation for Malawi and Tanzania
Data cleaning and documentation for Mali, Ghana, and Ethiopia
Actions: Follow up with Zambia and Wageningen team (for SIMLEZA data access); with Thom Jayne (MSU) (for RALS data access)
Completed
Completed
Completed
Completed
Completed
Under completion
Close to completion
Ongoing Ongoing
Collaborations:
Wageningen team
FAO: Memorandum of Understanding signed
Vital Signs
VS shared documentation on indicators, data use policy, shape files for TZ and Ghana
Chief scientist to review VS agricultural intensification thread and select key indicators
IFPRI aligned AR control sites with Vital Signs sites in northern Ghana
But access to VS's household-level data can become a problem
Done/ongoing
Done Done
Done
Done, data on 250+ plots completed
Site/field visits
Tanzania, Ethiopia
Ghana, Mali
Completed
Update
Talks b/n IFPRI Finance and IITA/IWMI for WA and ESA M&E coordinators (positions)
M&E coordinator for Ethiopia (consultant)
A survey resident for Ghana (consultant); a survey resident for Mali (consultant)
A consultant/programmer to assist with electronic data collection for all the surveys
Actions
Finalize negotiations and sign contracts for the new positions in January
ESA position
advertised, CVs under review
;WA canceled for lack of funds
Hired
Hired
Hired
Hired
Done
Comms Update
Enter MAJOR ongoing/planned and completed tasks
Task
Status
Notes for PCT review
ESA poster
finalized
WA poster
under preparation
ESA brochure
finalized
WA brochure
finalized
Malawi video
finalized
On agro-ecological intensification options to be used in training workshops for extensionists and development partners
Program generic presentation en and fr
drafted and will be shared to the concerned people for review
Wiki usage guidelines
Not yet started
ELB: What is this? Clarify and I'm happy to help. The wiki structure and content have been majorly overhauled over the turn of the year
Program framework
Version 1 published
Suggest regular review and update as part of each annual learning event (living document)
ELB: This is supposed to be addressed early this year again but is not strictly a 'Comms' item
IITA comms person for ARISING
person was recruited in November but resigned in April; position has been upgraded to IRS; interviews have been completed and offer made to a candidate
Need regular stories from all regions. ELB: However for 2013 very balanced inputs from all regions (granted, thanks to the 3 posts about Ghana, otherwise WA would be lagging behind): 8 from ESA, 10 from Ethiopia, 10 from West Africa, 10 from program level.
Wiki gardening/management
regular
(ELB) Major update done on the wiki over the turn of the year. Data management and M&E pages have to follow (ELB in touch with M&E team about this shortly) and regional project pages need to be updated by respective comms officer with regional management's help.
Documents to CGSPACE
regularly updated
IITA to join cgspace training late october (tbc)
Use of yammer for internal updating
initiated
Needs wider promotion and buy-in. (ELB) This would be a useful topic to discuss properly in a PCT at some stage - we need a good platform to share information on a regular basis, it's not a 'nice to have' it's a 'non-negotiable' for a program which has to show strong integration across components, teams and regions...
Photo sharing on flickr
regularly updated
Simret to follow with Catherine and Katy - to inform partners to send four-five pictures with captions
Presentations shared on slideshare
regularly updated
ARISING calendar updating
regularly updated
Branding Guidline
Finalized
Template and banners revison
due to the ftf logo change we have revised most of our templets and logo banners
Website revision
the website now has a new look , still open for comments
wiki revision
we have revised the wiki
See above
Photojournalist work -Next year, Ethiopia
Informed the PCT that the Next Photographer will be commistion to take pictures in ethiopia and planned for October 2014
Key things to be considered by the PCT
- PCT to look at the global communication plan ( http://africa-rising.wikispaces.com/program_comms_plan_2014
)and comment
- the three project pages in the wiki to get updated()
- what to be done about the action points from the learning event
-to comment on the institutional history (also on Yammer )
- to see the new websit and give feedback/comment
Simret to send all the links for the PCT
- PCT to give comment on the communication plan by the end of January - To Update the project page of the wiki – mid February and WA and EA mid-march - Simret to circulate the action points from the learning and PCT to look at them and decide how to go about them - Simret to send the institutional history link and the website and the PCT members to send feedback as soon as they can
18 July 2014
Venue: Farmers club, London
Time: morning
PCT page
Agenda
Overall action points
THE EVENT PAGE HAS BEEN RESTRUCTURED
See details
-It was suggested to have an overall strategy
The Humidtropics gender strategy has been circulated. The USAID gender specialist made consrtuctive comments which were forwarded to Humidtropics. ESA and WA were trying to recruit a gender specialist through GIZ/CIM. No candidate identified yet. Process ongoing.
Ethiopia gender plan currently in publication. Peter to share final draft with IHZ cc CA, JG.
- Peter ,Annet and Irmgard to meet with USAID person to look in to a program level strategy
- To look at the humidtropics and use it as a basis gender strategy
- Irmgard and Peter to get the copy
of the humidtropics Gender strategy
- f each project feels there needs a separate one they can work on it and attached to the generic strategy
-We need few specific indicators for research projects , indicators that we could measure in the short project time
We needs to be focused
-Before USAID commission an external evaluators
ESA and WA came up with suggestions for sustainability indicators to kick off discussion of appropriateness, measurability, etc. Discussion included MSU, USAID, and WU but did not yield agreement.
Powerpoint summary available for further diuscussion
AAAS Symposium (San Jose, CA, February 2015; Peter Thorne, Cheryl Palm, Sieg Snapp, Gordon Conway?). Possibility of an add on meeting (c. 15 - 20 participants to come up with a core list of indicators for cross project application). We submit candidates beforehand.
Add to agendas for Programme Learning Event / M and E meeting and individual project planning meetings.
- Iain to ask the convener to come up for a draft report by March
-Peter T . to feedback from the vital science meeting in London in February
WA evaluation will take place September to October 2014. Ch. Okali is part of the review team. ToR were discussed with PCT and SAG. ESA evaluation is planned for February 2015.
Ethiopia: Early 2015? For discussion.
-Peter talked to Eric and he said that we will get the same amount of allocation of the last year
Same amount as in previous years was disbursed on March 2014.
Bolt on projects. AR as a management entity for development activities. Case by case basis.
to check with Eric an give us update
USAID Update
Enter MAJOR ongoing/planned and completed tasksESA Update
Enter MAJOR ongoing/planned and completed tasksSteering committee members were not available at the time when USAID visited the fields. ASARECA and Chair of Steering committee attended launch of R4D platform in Babati in April and in continuation went on a 2-days field visit.
Mateete, Sieg and I went on field visit to Chipata in January. Critical feed back was provided on some of the CA trials. SIMLEZA baseline survey data were shared with Wageningen after long discussion. RALS data compiled by MSU and national partners could not be obtained because they are protected by an MSU-USAID mission agreement. Wageningen team had 2 trips to Chipata to implement activities and farming systems analysis.
Concept note to the USAID mission in Tanzania is under preparation for scaling technologies for rice, maize, beans, vegetables, soil fertility (fertilizer), strengthening seed systems, post harvest handling (4.5-5m for 3 years)
visit in Tanzania
WA Update
Enter MAJOR ongoing/planned and completed tasksNew project component in Mali
USAID mission Mali provided $9m for three years to ICRISAT to disseminate sorghum and millet technologies, the scaling project operates and reports under Africa RISING
Ethiopia Update
Enter MAJOR ongoing/planned and completed tasksM&E Update
Enter MAJOR ongoing/planned and completed tasksVersion 2.0 demo at the M&E meeting
PMMT updated based on feedback at the M&E meeting
AR data management protocol
Actions:
Version 3 to be ready by end of June
PMMT seminar at USAID; internal M&E training
PMMT training end of July/beginning of August in all countries/sites
Finalize data management plan by March (for April PCT meeting)
Completed
Completed
Draft for discussion
Completed
Completed
Ongoing
Draft for discussion
Data cleaning and documentation for Malawi and Tanzania
Data cleaning and documentation for Mali, Ghana, and Ethiopia
Actions:
Follow up with Zambia and Wageningen team (for SIMLEZA data access); with Thom Jayne (MSU)
(for RALS data access)
Completed
Completed
Completed
Completed
Under completion
Close to completion
Ongoing
Ongoing
Wageningen team
FAO: Memorandum of Understanding signed
Vital Signs
VS shared documentation on indicators, data use policy, shape files for TZ and Ghana
Done
Done
Done
Done, data on 250+ plots
completed
Talks b/n IFPRI Finance and IITA/IWMI for WA and ESA M&E coordinators (positions)
M&E coordinator for Ethiopia (consultant)
A survey resident for Ghana (consultant); a survey resident for Mali (consultant)
A consultant/programmer to assist with electronic data collection for all the surveys
Actions
Finalize negotiations and sign contracts for the new positions in January
advertised, CVs under review
;WA canceled for lack of funds
Hired
Hired
Hired
Hired
Done
Comms Update
Enter MAJOR ongoing/planned and completed tasksSuggest regular review and update as part of each annual learning event (living document)
http://africa-rising.wikispaces.com/program_comms_plan_2014
)and comment
- the three project pages in the wiki to get updated()
- what to be done about the action points from the learning event
-to comment on the institutional history (also on Yammer )
- to see the new websit and give feedback/comment
- PCT to give comment on the communication plan by the end of January
- To Update the project page of the wiki – mid February and WA and EA mid-march
- Simret to circulate the action points from the learning and PCT to look at them and decide how to go about them
- Simret to send the institutional history link and the website and the PCT members to send feedback as soon as they can